Looking for Freedom from Fossil Fuels: Decarbonizing the European Union

Russia’s unprovoked Ukraine invasion sent shockwaves across the world and shined a spotlight on the true costs of our global fossil fuel reliance, especially for the European Union (EU). The EU’s 27 members buy a quarter of their oil and more 40 percent of their gas from Russia, and EU households are facing high energy bills and accelerating impacts from the climate crisis.

On this episode of Electrify This!, host Sara Baldwin speaks with energy policy experts at the Regulatory Assistance Project and Agora Energiewende to explore how the EU can end its reliance on Russian gas and oil, achieve its climate goals, and ensure its consumers benefit from the transition. Tune in to learn how consumers can lead the way through electrification combined with a clean grid that puts the EU on a path to a more prosperous, safe, and peaceful future.

Guest Bios:
Michaela Holl is a Senior Associate at the independent thinktank, Agora Energiewende, working to influence EU clean energy policies. Prior to this, she worked as a policy analyst at the European Commission, the EU s executive arm for 16 years on a broad range of EU legislation from tobacco regulation to renewables and energy efficiency. She also worked as assistant to a Member of the European Parliament. Michaela holds a Master degree in European Economics from the College of Europe in Bruges and a Diploma in International Business and Cultural Studies.  She is also a visiting lecturer at Technical University Munich’s School on governance and co-host of the bimonthly Watt Matters Podcast. 

Jan Rosenow is a Principal and Director of European Programmes at the Regulatory Assistance Project and has several board appointments including the European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, the Coalition for Energy Savings and the Carbon Free Europe. Jan is also an Honorary Research Associate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute and has been appointed Special Advisor to the House of Commons’ inquiry into decarbonizing heating.  He was named one of the world’s Top 25 energy influencers and co-hosts the Watt Matters podcast.  

To Dig in Deeper, Check out these Must-Read Resources:

• Agora Energiewende
• Regulatory Assistance Project
• International Energy Agency Press Release, Energy saving actions by EU citizens could save enough oil to fill 120 super tankers and enough natural gas to heat 20 million homes (April 21, 2022)  
• International Energy Agency, A 10-Point Plan to Reduce the European Union’s Reliance on Russian Natural Gas (March 2022)
• Jan Rosenow and Michaela Holl, How Europe can rapidly reduce its gas dependency, Euractiv (February 25, 2022)  
• Watt Matters Podcast
• The perfect fit: Shaping the Fit for 55 package to drive a climate-compatible heat pump market, RAP, Agora, CLASP, GBPN, and Crux (March 2022)